Alwyn: Chamber Music

$9.99 (COMPACT DISC)

Link to this COMPACT DISC

Clarinet Sonata (more info)
Composed by: William Alwyn
Susan Grace, piano
Sophia Rahman, piano
Charles West, clarinet
Robert Plane, clarinet
Recording date: 4-5 October 2009


1. Clarinet Sonata - 00:12:10


Oboe Sonata (more info)
Composed by: William Alwyn
Sophia Rahman, piano
Sarah Francis, oboe
David Johnson, percussion
Katsuya Watanabe, oboe


2. I. Moderato e grazioso - 00:07:32
3. II. Andantino - 00:03:42
4. III. Allegro (quasi valse tempo) - 00:04:23


Viola Sonatina (more info)
Composed by: William Alwyn
Sophia Rahman, piano
Sarah-Jane Bradley, viola
Recording date: 4-5 October 2009


5. I. Prelude: Lento e rubato - 00:02:30
6. II. Dance: Allegretto - 00:01:15
7. III. Aria: Andante piacevole - 00:02:50
8. IV. Finale: Allegro moderato e deciso - 00:01:43


Suite for Oboe and Harp (more info)
Composed by: William Alwyn
Lucy Wakefield, harp
Sarah Francis, oboe
Lucy Wakeford,
Recording date: 4-5 October 2009


9. I. Minuet: Moderato - 00:02:40
10. II. Valse Miniature: Allegro grazioso - 00:01:01
11. III. Jig: Allegro molto - 00:02:10


String Trio (more info)
Composed by: William Alwyn
Recording date: 4-5 October 2009


12. I. Allegro molto - Meno mosso - Allegro molto - Adagio - 00:02:28
13. II. Molto vivace - 00:05:40
14. III. Andante - Poco piu mosso - 00:04:20
15. IV. Allegro ma non troppo - Poco piu mosso - Meno mosso, grazioso - Piu mosso - Meno mosso - Molto meno mosso - Andante espressivo - 00:03:17


Conversations (more info)
Composed by: William Alwyn
Sophia Rahman, piano
Robert Plane, clarinet
Lucy Gould,
Recording date: 4-5 October 2009


16. I. Prelude: Moderato a calmato - 00:01:47
17. II. Romanza: Andante e tranquillo - 00:02:48
18. III. Chorale: Broad and expressive but with movement - 00:01:55
19. IV. Fughetta: Allegro moderato e molto ritmico - 00:01:12
20. V. Arioso: Con moto e placido - 00:03:00
21. VI. Carillon: Allegro commodo - 00:02:23
22. VII. Intermezzo: Slow and clear - 00:01:52
23. VIII. Capriccio: Allegro molto (quasi presto volante) - 00:03:13

Reviews

The art of British chamber music lives in Alwyn! (Sep 13, 2010)
Reviewer:Daniel Coombs
The new Naxos recording of the chamber music of William Alwyn (Naxos 8.572425) is the latest in a series that catalogues the mid-twentieth century master and is a gem! Alwyn came from a family that had no musical background at all. His father, in fact, was a grocer and yet the family frequently talked about great literature and young William developed great skills as a flutist, pianist and,... The new Naxos recording of the chamber music of William Alwyn (Naxos 8.572425) is the latest in a series that catalogues the mid-twentieth century master and is a gem! Alwyn came from a family that had no musical background at all. His father, in fact, was a grocer and yet the family frequently talked about great literature and young William developed great skills as a flutist, pianist and, then, composer from his early school years. He later graduated from the Royal Academy of Music, joining their faculty at the age of 21! He left a large body of works, from several symphonies to small chamber works, like those heard here. These works, and this recording, are quite beautiful all around. The Sonata for Clarinet & Piano (1962) is a single extended movement work written in a flowing, yet bravura, style. It is rhapsodic, full of runs and flourishes of all sorts, ending quite dramatically. Originally written for Thea King, it is wonderfully performed here by Robert Plane, principal clarinet of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and pianist, Sophia Rahma, a highly skilled accompanist known throughout England. The Sonata for Oboe from 1934 opens with a lovely oscillating piano part under a lilting, sometimes jaunty, oboe melody. The first movement flows, somewhat impressionistically, into the middle andantino that has an almost chorale feel to it. The work concludes with a short, tuneful waltz that dissolves into a tranquil coda. The Sonatina for Viola & Piano (1941) opens a bit darkly, followed by a spritely dance. The aria movement is particularly beautiful and the work concludes with a brilliant, virtuostic finale. Lucy Gould, violist, masters the mood and demand of this master work. One of the best aspects of this collection is the inclusion of Alwyn's almost forgotten Suite for Oboe & Harp (1945). This wonderful little surprise was only discovered about thirty years ago in the Leon Goosens collection at the British library. A wonderful work, it focuses on a plaintive, almost Eastern sounding, oboe main theme and a very wistful harp part before the work concludes with a charming waltz. Another highlight of this disc is the String Trio, from 1959. This is a bold, mostly dark, work that stands in contrast in mood to the other works on this disc. Based on a non-harmonic twelve tone row, this is a dramatic and pensive work that stays intense for its fifteen minute duration. The collection concludes with the charming Conversations for violin, clarinet & piano (1950) Eight, brief, tuneful pieces are played all in a row and each carries a different but attractive mood. The "conversations" are the exchanges and sharing of melody between each instrument, especially noted in the Romanza and the Arioso. This entire collection is a must have for fans of Alwyn's music and for anyone looking to expand their knowledge of the wide range of wonderful chamber writing that actually characterized post-Elgar England right through the 1960s. All the performances are superb and the Naxos engineers have again produced a product that sounds clean, well balanced and lively. Highly recommended, indeed! (read more)